The film 'The Blair Witch Project' was one of the most talked about
movies of 1999. Audiences came away with an intense love-hate
relationship towards the independent sleeper, propelling it to
immediate cult status and helping it attain box office records as
one of the highest-grossing films ever. The movie was so
successful, and perhaps controversial, that the studio decided to
create both a sequel and a prequel to be released in the coming
year. The sequel, entitled Blair Witch II: The Shadow Book, is set
for theatrical release this Halloween while the prequel is due next
fall. Coincidentally, Gathering of Developers also announced a
trilogy of games based on the Blair Witch franchise. The first of
those titles has arrived from Terminal Reality and is promptly titled
Blair Witch Project Volume I: Rustin Parr.

The plotline in Blair Witch Project Volume I arises from the back
history of the movie. Rustin Parr was the hermit who lived in the
woods just outside of Burkittsville, Maryland. The year was 1941
when Rustin emerged from the woods proclaiming he was "finally
finished". As the rest of the small town soon found out, he was
referring to the abduction and brutal murders of seven local
children. Rustin Parr was found guilty of his ghoulish acts and was
consequently hung. In his professions, he claimed the Blair Witch
had placed a hex on him, forcing him to commit the murders.

It's important to understand that Blair Witch Project Volume I:
Rustin Parr is not a game based solely on the film. You actually
take on the role of Doc Holiday. For those of you wondering why
that name sounds familiar, it's because she was a cast member
from the original Nocturne. This game basically crosses over
material from both the Nocturne and Blair Witch franchises,
creating an ultra-eerie experience. The game begins as you, Doc
Holiday, arrive in Burkittsville shortly after Rustin's arrest. The
secret government agency created to investigate supernatural
phenomenons, Spookhouse, has sent the lovely and talented
Doc to investigate the murders, figuring something must be amiss.

Blair Witch Project Volume I (I hope I don't have to say that many
more times this review) is predominantly a plot and exploration
oriented game. It features numerous cinematic and dialogue
sequences as Doc searches for the truth behind the Blair Witch, the
forest, and the mysteries surrounding Rustin Parr. That's not to say
there aren't any combat sequences as there are plenty of baddies,
both mortal and spectral, that go bump in the night, but Volume I
is, and will be, the most story-oriented game of the entire trilogy.

Blair Witch opens with a short tutorial session designed to
introduce the Nocturne engine to potential newcomers. If you
missed out on the original Nocturne, and I wouldn't be surprised
considering the immense system requirements of that game, the
engine features a third-person perspective. The camera reacts to
the position of the character within a particular area, which can
often create some frustrating moments during combat when the
camera shifts. Admittedly, this enhanced engine has improved on
the camera control during the game, but there are still instances of
havoc created by the camera view. Combat is made slightly easier
in part due to a futuristic laser sight attached to your weapon
(although they never would have existed in 1941). Besides
handguns and shotguns, you'll also be able to use such items as
axes and stakes (for the vampires of course), but the combination
of keyboard/mouse controls remains the same.

Awkward camera work aside, the Nocturne engine is a marvel to
watch and this enhanced version is no different. The textures and
environments are breathtaking, helping to create an intensely
creepy atmosphere. The dynamic lighting is stunning and the
attention to detail is impeccable. As you traverse the woods, Doc
will actually kick up leaves that continue to accumulate on the
ground from the trees overhead. The only problem with the visuals
lies in the character animation. The facial animations look like
separate skins and certainly don't match the overall quality of the
rest of the visuals. During the cinematics, the expressions and lip
movement don't match the dialogue at all, creating rather
awkward storytelling moments.

The audio in Blair Witch is just as top notch as the visuals. The
voice acting, in particular, is incredibly well done and despite the
fact the speech is rarely in sync with the lip movement of the
characters, the dialogue is crisp and the English accents are spot
on. The musical interludes and creepy sound effects add an edge
to the overall atmosphere of the game. If you turn the lights down
low and the sound way up, you'll undoubtedly have a few heart
stopping moments as zombies and other creatures of the night
jump out of every conceivable angle.

Those of you who played the original Nocturne are probably
wondering about the system specifications. The requirements for
Nocturne were absurd, as many gamers didn't near have the
power to run the game efficiently. The enhanced engine for Blair
Witch has been improved slightly, but don't expect a lower-end
machine to run this game very well. The only reason Blair Witch
will probably cater to more gamers is the fact that the once
incredible requirements are nowadays rather average. A Pentium
II-400 with 64mb RAM is probably as low as you'll be able to go.
Considering Blair Witch Project Volume I comes with a budget-like
price tag, you really can't complain, although there is one obvious
reason behind the set price. That reason is simply because Blair
Witch Project Volume I is an incredibly short experience. There is
half the amount of gameplay in Blair Witch than there was in
Nocturne and you'll probably be able to breeze through the game
with relative ease. The puzzles aren't particularly tough, although
there are difficulty level settings pertaining to the action
sequences. If you take away the continuous dialogue and
cinematics though, you'll realize Blair Witch Project Volume I is
not a lengthy journey.

The similarities between this game and the film are quite ironic.
Both feature nausea-inducing camera work and each is a tad bit
on the short side. The similarities end there though, as Blair Witch
Project Volume I is arguably scarier than the movie. Where the
movie played on the fears and imagination of the viewers, the
game isn't afraid to show you what you should be scared of.
Zombies, vampires, poltergeists, oh my! But when the curtain
closes, the movie and the game share one important quality: both
are engrossing entities that are sure to bring chills and thrills to
unsuspecting victims.